The present invention relates to articles and items of furniture which from a distance appear to be made from, or to have visible surfaces of, solid stone wherein the effect is created by the appearance of a finely cut-up material when seen at a distance. The present invention also relates to a method of obtaining the solid stone-like appearance.
The phrase "articles and items of furniture", or the like, as used herein includes, but is not limited to: sculptures; large and small household items; wall cladding and coverings; domestic utensils; domestic and commercial furniture, fixtures and fittings; souvenirs; housing for clocks; and ornamental items and jewelry.
A stone-like finish has been found to be possible, by packing a volume of space within an article or item of furniture with finely cut-up material. However, the packing must be extremely dense within the packed volume, otherwise the material tends to settle over a period of time. The resultant visible air gap at the top of the material destroys the visual appearance of a stone-like finish. This settling effect is apparent, after a period of time, even when the material is initially densely packed.
Further, at some, if not all, angles of viewing or distances from the article or item, one is aware of the density or thickness of the transparent or translucent medium covering the material. From some angles or distances this can totally destroy the visible effect of the stone-like appearance.